Apparatus for making ice in small pieces



June 12, 1956 F. w. KNOWLES APPARATUS FOR MAKING ICE IN SMALL PIECES 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 19, 1952 w. KNOWLES INVENTOR my FRANK June12, 1956 F. w. KNOWLES 2,749,722

APPARATUS FOR MAKING ICE IN SMALL PIECES Filed Sept. 19, 1952 3Sheets-Sheet 2 FRANK W. KNOWLES INVENTOR June 12, 1956 F. w. KNOWLES2,749,722

APPARATUS FOR MAKING ICE m SMALL PIECES Filed Sept. 19. 1952 sSheets-Sheet s FRANK W. K NOWLE$ NVENTOR BY r, M

United States Patent APPARATUS non MAKING ICE 1N SMALL PmcEs Frank W.Knowles, eattle, Wash.

Application September 19, 1952, Serial No. 310,446

8 Claims. (Cl. 62-106) This invention relates to improvements inapparatus for making ice in small pieces and, more particularly,involves the manufacture of ice in a continuous manner upon a revolvingrigid surface and its constant removal therefrom in flake-like piecesthat have maximum refrigerating surface per unit of mass.

Among the more important objects of this invention are: the provision ofsimple and efiicient apparatus for converting water into ice ofsheet-like form having uniform thickness in a continuous manner on amoving rigidsurface and for the continuous removal of ice in flake orsmall sheet form; to provide an improved apparatus for forming acontinuous sheet of ice on a rigid surface to which the refrigerant issupplied by means which produce an increased efliciency in the heattransfer function; to create an improved apparatus for removing ice froma rigid moving surface whereby more uniform and better ice particles areobtained for improved cooling action when used; and to provide an icemaking apparatus which is sturdy in construction, easy to produce,install, and maintain, and which is economical to operate.

This invention consists of the features of construction and operationand the combinations of elements and their arrangement into a workableentity as is more fully set forth and described in the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings, the scope of applicationbeing set forth in the subjoined claims. The foregoing objects of thisinvention and others will be apparent from a reading of the accompanyingspecification and claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, with portions broken away forconvenience of illustration, of a refrigerating apparatus embodying myinvention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a portion of the rigidice-forming surface of my apparatus showing in detail the manner of icein particle form that is produced and removed;

Figure 3 is a sectional view in upright plane of my refrigeratingapparatus as viewed along the longitudinal axis;

Figure 4 is an upright cross-sectional view of the machine of Figure l;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional vie showing the relativearrangement of the ice forming and ice removing means of myrefrigerating apparatus.

My apparatus, shown in Figure 1 comprises a water tight housing orreceptacle including end-walls 12 and 14, bottom 16, front wall 18, andrear wall 20. Within the chamber thus formed is mounted refrigerablecylinder 22 with its axis horizontal and generally disposed beneath thenormal water-level W maintained within the receptacle. The front wall 18is provided with an elongated horizontal slit or discharge opening whichreceives ice on delivery chute 24 that extends into the chamber intoproximate contact with the surface of the cylinder 22 and outward anddownward therefrom for guiding ice particles or flakes away from thecylinder. Under certain conditions the apparatus includes the hood 26which covers the 2,749,722 Patented June 12, 1956 chamber and enclosesthe upper exposed portion of the cylinder 22 and certain ice removalapparatus to be more fully described.

Reference to Figure 3 of the drawings will disclose that the cylinder 22comprises the hollow cylindrical shell 30 having ends 32 and 34 weldedor otherwise secured therein. An insulating head 36 is fastened to head32 by stud bolts 38 and clamp plate 40. Trunnion shaft 42 extendsoutward through head 36 from head 32. Shaft 42 on head 32 is journalledin a packed bearing 44 mounted upon end wall 12 and has gear 46 keyedthereto for transmission of power in the rotation of the cylinder.

At the opposite end of cylinder 22, the head 34 has a hollow trunnion46, surrounded by insulating head 48, which is rotatably mounted onfixed sleeve 50, suitable seals 52, 53 being provided within thetrunnion and around the sleeve to retain water in the receptacle and tocontain the refrigerant within the cylinder. Sealing fluid such as oilunder pressure is supplied to, and withdrawn from the spaces betweenseals 52, 53 in a continuous manner by the conduits 54, 55. Note thatfixed sleeve 50 is chambered at 60 and that to this chamber, throughconduits connected to couplings 62, 63, refrigerant is delivered andcirculated in its passage from within the cylinder to the compressorunit. The purpose of this latter arrangement is to raise the temperatureof the bearing and packing means that support the right end (as viewedin Figure 3) of the rotatable cylinder and prevent the formation of iceat this point. In such manner friction or drag is reduced and thefree-rotatability of the ice-forming cylinder is maintained at a highlevel.

Two refrigerant conduits pass axially through chamber 60 between theinterior of the cylinder 22 and the exterior of the machine. The largerconduit 66 forms the inner wall of chamber 60 and extends from amid-point, Where it has downturned end 68, of the cylinder to withoutthe apparatus where it is coupled with the return gas line 69. Withinconduit 66 is the refrigerant supply tube 70 which has the innerupturned end 72 forming a discharge nozzle for the more solidrefrigerant delivered to the interior of the ice-forming cylinder 22.Expanded refrigerant accumulates in the bottom of the cylinder where itis collected and withdrawn through the passage formed by parts 68, 66and 69.

Upon turning to Figures 4 and 5 one will see that the inner face of thecylindrical wall forming cylinder 22 is provided with a plurality ofinstanding T-shaped fins 74 which have their legs rigidly welded orotherwise secured to the hollow cylinder. Fins 74 extend between theinner faces of heads 32 and 34 and adjacent their point of joinder withthe cylinder wall are serially ported by openings 76 which are arrangedalong the length of the fins. These openings are relatively small andpermit refrigerating fluids to pass through from one side to the otherside of thefins 74.

As cylinder 22 is rotated the fins 74 pass through the refrigerant whichhas accumulated in the lower zone of the hollow chamber within thecylinder. Due to their shape the fins are enabled to scoop uprefrigerant and to carry it in the manner illustrated in Figure 4 upwardto where it tends to overflow and discharge from the elongated cupsformed by the cross-heads 75 of fins 74. At the same time certaindecrements of the refrigerant fluid in the cups is allowed to bleed awaythrough the holes 76 and since these holes are located close to theinner face of cylinder 22 to flow downward across that face and keep itcontinually wet, increasing fl1e heat absorbing effect through thecylinder wall. As the fins rise in their path of travel they reach apoint where the encharged. This action is gradual as will be apparent inFigure 4 and most of it occurs when the fins approach and finally reachthe nadir of their travel.

Disposed on and supported by the upstanding tube 72 is formed theslightly sloping plate 80 which extends from end to end of the cylinderand includes the flange 8 2 whi ch more abruptly slopes toward therising wall of the cylinder from crest 34. Members 82, 84 form a battlewithin the cylinder to distribute refrigerant poured from the cupsformed by fins '74 and distribute the same toward leading and followingfins with respect to those uppermost in the device. Such of the liquidas falls to the rig t of crest $4 in Figure 4 runs backward toward fo1-lowing fin cups and that which is deposited to the left in Figure 4 ofthe crest runs across and over the edge of plate 30 into the leading orpreceding fin cups. The fins at any one time which overlie plate 8;) areout of Contact with liquid refrigerant and, thus, the heat transfereffect is somewhat less at the upper path of travel of the cylinder thaon either side thereof. This means that the upper portion of thecylinder will have a slightly higher ternperature and that the followingice sheet on the exterior ojf'the c ylinder will have a relatively lowertemperature as it leaves the water in receptacle 12, and that lower q lllt Y k w e b in. ,et on he cylinder at about the point of re-entry ofits surface into the pool. th" arrangement the removal of the ice filmfrom the cylinder is facilitated since at the point of removal of theice'the latter is tending to absorb heat from the cylinder wh ch is -teadegree a loosening action.

It willbe observed in Figure 4 that the trough bottorn' is disposed atrather an upright angle and that it is substantially tangential to theouter face of the cylinder 22. Also note that the point of tangency isquite close to the water level of the fluid in tank 12. Since itisat'the upper edge of trough 24 that the ice first makes contact as itleaves the cylinder and since such ice is extremely 'cold will be seenthat heat will be absorbed the water immediately under or within trough24 lowering its temperature at the point where its freezingdnto thecylinder is initiated. This coincides with p oinfinside the cylinderwhere the free flowing rese l f passing across plate 80 is beingreturned tothe cups of fins 74. By this arrangement an increase of isobtained and substantial advantage is gained' i i Th emeni f 9? r hOuter r e s o ta ned n thi apparatu by me n of a single h ly ped blade90 mounted upon shaft 92 which is jonrnalled for rotatipn in bearings 94mounted upon the upper portions f W ll :2. a .4. f the receptacle- D prok .6 receives power by means of chain 98 from motor 100. Blade 90 isequal in length to the cylinder 22 and turns with relat on t er that ypoint f he lad makes contact with the cylinder quite a few times durnwith e olut n 9f e cylinder- For e am le xce lent results and desirableice particle size is obtained by rotating the cylinderZZ, which may be10 inches in diameter, at, a speed of 1 R. P. M. and rotating removerblade 90, which has a radius of 1 /2 inches, at a speed of 48.

R. P. By this arrangement blade 9!} at any given point contacts themoving surface of drum 2 2 at intervals of about two-thirds of an inchand, when the blade is working on an ice film on the drum surface flakesapproximately that width are stripped from the drum in the mannerdepicted in Figure 2 where both. removedv flakes. are shown and, bydotted lines the next line of cleavage is indicated.

Blade 90. is characterized by being eveled rearward from its leadingvedge and the point of contact with the drum. This is to be seen inFigure 5. Also blade W is notched at spaced. intervals along its lengthto leave sharp edged teeth 91 separated. by notches 93. It has. beenfound that this blade edge design facilitates the chip or flakeformation from the sheet of ice on the cylinder and;

tends to eliminate the stripping away of the ice in long slivers asbefore.

Rotation of cylinder 22 is had by means of gear 102 meshed with gear 46and driven by reduced drive motor 104.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, ice-making apparatus, comprising: a tank to containwater to be frozen; a cylinder rotatably mounted in said tank with itsaxis horizontal and positioned in partial immersion in the water in thetank; means including a nozzle to deliver refrigerant to the upper innercentral portion of said cylinder to form ice on its outer surface; meansfor rotating said cylinder in a continuous manner whereby ice formed onthe outer cylinder surface is constantly being elevated to above thesurface of water in the tank; means for continuously stripping ice fromsaid cylinder adjacent the upper path of travel of its outer surface;said cylinder having on its inner surface a series of circumferentiallvspaced instandingand invertible liquid refrigerant carrier membersextending between the ends of the cylinder to receive liquid refrigerantand carry the same within said cylinder in closeproxirnity with thecoating of ice on the cylinder as the same is being formed and elevatedfrom the water in the tank; and a generally horizontally disposednonmovable baflle plate in the upper portion of said cylinder to receiverefrigerant from said nozzle and elevators, said plate being ofsubstantial width and having its edges located adjacent the ascendingand descending walls of the cylinder to laterally distribute therefrigerant to the carriers and the cylinder Walls.

2. The combination according to claim 1 in which the instanding liquidrefrigerant carriers comprise T-shaped bars secured by their legs to thecylinder and their crossheads are disposed generally at abrupt angles tothe radii of the cylinder.

3. The combination according to claim 2 in which the legs of theT-shaped bars are pierced adjacent the point of securement of the legsto the cylinder.

4. The combination according to claim 1 in which the instanding liquidrefrigerant elevators comprise bar members having oppositely directedarms disposed on either side of a central member which is attached tothe cylinder me wi 5 The combination according to claim 1 in which themeans to refrigerate said cylinder includes a liquid refrigerantdischarge nozzle having its outlet adjacent the upper surface of thebaffle whereby the bafile distributes the 1g refrigerant laterally tothe ascending and descending walls and carriers of the cylinder.

6. A rotatable evaporator having an external cylindrical freezingsurface and comprising a shell casing mountedfor rotation and havingclosed ends for the containment of refrigerant therein, conduit means todeliver refrigerant to the interior of said shell in the upper portionthereof; conduit meansto withdraw refrigerant from said shell'in thelower portion thereof, and a generally horizontally disposed platebaflle extending longitudinally within said shell beneath the outlet ofsaid refrigerant delivery conduit means to receive fluid refrigeranttherefrom, said plate being of substantial width with its edges adiacentthe, ascending and descending walls of the cylinder to distribute thedelivered refrigerant laterally. within shell 7 to the walls thereof.

7. A rotatable evaporator having an external cylindricalfreezingsurfaceand comprising a shell casing mounted for rotation having closed endsfor the containment of refrigerant: therein, conduit means to deliverrefrigerant tothfe. interior. of said shell in the upper portionthereof, conduit means. to, withdraw refrigerant from said shell in the.lower portion. thereof and a generally horizontally disposed platebaflle. extending longitudinally within said shell beneath the outletofsaid delivery conduit, means to receive-fluid refrigerant therefromand comprising two planar elements joined together along a common edgeand disposed angularly to each other to distribute the deliveredrefrigerant laterally within said shell through the walls thereof. 7

8. The structure according to claim 7 in which one of the planarelements is disposed at a steeper angle to the horizontal than the otherand the steeper element of said baffle is adjacent the ascending side ofsaid shell casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS CarneySept. 15, 1931 Gay June 19, 1934 Taylor Dec. 8, 1936 Knowles Dec. 17,1946 Gruhn Apr. 19, 1949 Knowles Nov. 4, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS GermanyJune 30, 1952

